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Interactive Commercial Utilizes Tivo Features
scrow writes "Marketing officers at Kentucky Fried Chicken's Yum! Brands Inc. have developed a commercial containing a hidden message for the viewers to find using their DVR systems. The aim is to combat the use of DVR devices, like Tivo, to skip advertising by introducing interactivity."
if I want interactive, I use the computer.
On the rare occasion I watch TV, I don't want to like, interact with the commercials. that's stupid.
So I don't have to actually watch the comercial.
Prof. Farnsworth - "Oh a lesson in not changing history from Mr I'm-My-Own-Grandpa!"
Excellent idea
1. Make ads for TV
2. Slowly make them more annoying
3. Discover that people are avoiding your ads like the plague
4. Try to subvert to force said people to watch your ads
5. ???
6. Profit!
I don't get it.
Number one, they forget that not everyone owns a DVR to play back the commercial in slow-motion to even get the code. Number two, people don't watch commercials for gimmicky promotions. Why do so many people watch the Super Bowl for the ads rather than the game? Because the ads are enjoyable/entertaining in some way. Make them funny, and people will watch. While this doesn't guarantee people buying your product (which is what KFC is after) this does get them watching. I personally don't agree with how KFC is going about this. Why not just let the code be plainly visible rather than viewable only to the segment of the populace that has special equipment?
The headline as of this writing is "Interactive Commercial Utilizes Tivo Features."
The commercial is not "Interactive" because you must watch it repeatedly. You don't interact with the commercial; you interact with the company by doing something indicated subliminably* in the commercial.
The commercial does not "utilize Tivo features" -- the summary actually states that it is meant to prevent users from fast-forwarding through it by implying that intellligent users might find something of value if they analyze it diligently enough. There are commercials which "utilize Tivo features" by employing a "PRESS THUMBS UP TO RECEIVE MORE ADS" button; this is not one of them.
Therefore, this article should be retitled "Commercial."
* Real word
For more information, click here.
Instead of being lawsuit crazy and trying to get people to watch their commercials by force, they gives incentives for people to watch their commercials voluntarily. Wish more advertisers would take this approach instead of making their ads steadily more annoying and intrusive.
"People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
I wonder why. In fact, I think this is a great idea. It gives the consumer a chioce. Either he won't care one bit about this "interactive" commercial and keep fast-forwarding through them or he can get involved and watch the commercial thoroughly, adding value for himself as well as the supplier of the ad.
This is the way a free market is supposed to work. If the consumer doesn't want to watch the commercials, add some value to them. No one is still not forcing you to watch the commercial.
I definitiely prefer this to some other sceme where the cable companies block the fast-forward button during the commericals like they do on DVD's.
Eh, it ain't that special. It's on the web, too. Go here: http://www.kfc.com/buffalosnacker/. Enter "buffalo" in the text box. You'll get a coupon for a free one, in case you might actually eat it.
Remember, Pamela Anderson is watching...
Unless you unlock the "secret message" by hitting "SKIP", I'll never know the difference.
If you're half as beautiful naked, you'd be 4 times as beautiful with twice as many clothes on.
What a fantastic idea! It's good to see someone can think of new idea's (although the Simpsons et al have been doing the same thing for years, but it's not [usually] advertising...) instead of the usual advertisement tripe.
[rant]
I hate ads. I listen to radio stations that don't play ads, I mute the tv / change channel during the ads, I'll do anything to avoid them. If TV doesn't make you a zombie already, the ads do. Have you watched people watching ads? They just sit there with mouths open, staring.
When I first subscribed to AUSTAR (Australian Pay TV over cable), they could fit 3 simpsons episodes in an hour, with the only ads being the station's "watch Austar" (uh, ok!). Now, there are more ads than free to air TV. Isn't this the reason I pay for it?
We should be putting the same effort in getting rid of ads that we do to getting rid of spam, we're just numb to ads as a part of life...
[/rant]
I know I've contradicted myself in calling it a good idea and simultaneously hating ads, but oh well...
Here
DYWYPI?
Will the advertisements have an effect on Tivo users? Who cares. I think the fact that KFC is trying an idea like this is getting a lot of great publicity. I mean... KFC on Slashdot? I think it's brilliant. Well done, Colonel!
There, I saved you having to type BUFFALO at http://www.kfc.com/buffalosnacker/
The latest Slashdot meme.
Yet another way in which televisions and all that profit from them are trying *desperately* to become the new interactive medium: GET REAL! People will not go to the trouble of recording a commerical in order to get a single coupon for something that costs $0.99 anyway. If it was a plasma tv, a laptop, something of *value* then people will jump through hoops to get it. Look at freepay.com, people will do all manner of things, even using their valuable sig space on /. but there is a major difference: These things (iPod, Laptop, PS3, etc) are actually worth the effort. If we wanted to play 'fun' games to gain miniscule rewards, we would already be playing an Xbox or PS2. You can get as many marketing guys from your company to say how great and revolutionary and wonderful and effective this is/will be, but it doesn't change the fact of the matter. This simply won't work.
games journalism blog
those who skip the commercials, get as punishment, an interactive listing of KFC's secret recipe! (eew)
Dish Network has been putting hotlinks in some ads for awhile now. You watch the commercial, and a button pops up in the corner that says "press enter for more info" or something along those lines, and it takes you to an interactive page.
Make me WANT to watch your commercials and I might and I won't be pissed off doing so. Just don't MAKE me watch your commercials. Subtle difference, no?
Big thrill.
KFC is scary. The smallest dinner they sell is a reasonably-sized meal. Most of the meals they sell are far, far bigger. And I see "wide loads" in there buying entire buckets for themselves.
I'm going to catch these ads, retrieve the codes, and publish them to a web page that also serves up Google ads. They can get the codes without having to sift through the TiVo bs, and I'll get paid for the eyeballs. Thanks KFC!
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Personally, I'd love to see more local companies doing something like this. At the multinational level, it's not needed.
Speaking just for myself here, I can't wait until media is completely consumer driven (such as on iTunes), and people can just drop a few bucks or subscribe to their favorite shows only. I swear, the more I have to deal with shows being monitored and censored by the advertising dollars backing it and the more I have to deal with poorly made products because of all the money thrown away on ads... just makes me sick.
I don't need some executive in an office trying to tell me what I want to watch and his cronies telling me what I want to buy. Actually, this would be a great chance for the creators of Arrested Developement to keep their show on the air; offer it over iTunes as a subscription, or some other service. Fuck Fox and News Corps and their ad firm henchmen.
Ex nihilo nihil fit.
...is not just to sell stuff. Commercials give the impression that the shows are only about entertainment, while the shows real purpose is advertising state social engineering goals; psychological training, etc. If commercials go away it makes the propaganda within television programming stand out.
I'm buying a DVR system tomorrow to take part in this exciting offer! I've heard that some have had difficulty hooking up their DVR systems, but it looks pretty simple to me. You just need the proper cables to connect to the... TV... oh crap... I NEED TO GET A TV!
A better (as in more effective) approach would be to develop some characters and tell some funny little stories that actually have people compelled to see the next 'chapter' in the series. Infuriatingly catchy musical ditties are always a plus.
A-Bomb
The message is, of course, "Remember to drink your Ovaltine."
I have a Tivo and I've gotten the "hit thumbs up for more info" type commercials for about a year now. Its actually pretty useful if you like a car you hit one button on your remote and you get a brochure. If you like a movie you can see an extended trailer....
But how is this news?
Find the fried rat hiding in the chicken.
Yes, people will do all manner of things, including tricking people to click on their referral links through subtle placement in their posts.
This comment was thought up very late at night and does not necessarily reflect my views at a more reasonable hour.
Soon TV networks will just start putting tickers over shows, to make sure you have to be present for the ads. Unless you Just Don't Look.
...happened to replayTV? oh wait... that name wasn't catchy enough for the target market.
Hats off to KFC and Yum Brands, this is a welcome alternative to the incredibly annoying trend of obvious product placement in film and television. Hopefully they will choose to pursue this on its own, as opposed to in conjunction with whatever placement strategy they may have.
I don't mind when a character happens to pull a name-brand can of soda out of their fridge, or requests a specific kind of drink at a bar, etc. It prevents the awkward scenes in you see in 80s sitcoms where you always see someone drinking a pink can marked "Soda" or the classic situation when a character enters a bar and orders a "Beer". However, product placement has crossed the line into the writing space, where plots are engineered around products and it is always painfully obvious when this occurs, yet it keeps happening because companies feel their traditional means of advertising are drying up.
When I enter the code on the site, it asks for my birthday. I enter it (I was born in 1984) and it gives me an error saying that I am too young and that I have to be over 18 to participate.
Last time I checked, 2006-1984=22.
You know, when someone makes a decent/funny/unique commerical, I find myself watching. Half the time, I see them on the internet before I see them on tv (take the VW unpimp my ride commercials), and if they're any good, I find myself actually saving them on the Tivo to show my friends....
hmm. i filled out their site with my birthdate, or something similar, and according to them, being 22 is too young. i get this http://www.kfc.com/buffalosnacker/toyoung.asp. It seems grammar is also a problem with KFC webmasters, in additon to basic math.
Great, just what I need. I just want to timeshift my viewing, and they want to expand the time it takes to watch the show.
http://www.kfc.com/buffalosnacker/buffalo.asp
Ah, the old Y2.1K problem. They've gone back to 2 digits years, and anything after '06 is treated as 2106. They figure you're -178 years old.
..the first time I see them. I might not mind watching them twice, even with a TiVo. But, I can not and WILL NOT sit there and be forced to watch time after time after time just to watch my programs of choice. Whatever KFC does, whatever any company does, if they annoy me I will not watch it.
TiVo actually made TV good again for me. Previous to our purchase I had actually given up almost all TV. With TiVo, I regularly follow about 8 different series (which all have different seasons so it's not as much as it sounds like) along with the oddball documentary, etc.
Advertisers listen: Stop being annoying! Stop wasting my time! I will not devote 33% of my viewing time to you. Ever.
Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!
I don't think I'd even go from 10x fast forward to 5x fast forward for anything KFC would be offering.
This is pretty much the equivalent to scratch and sniff perfume/cologne ads in magazines. The method here doesn't match the product as well, so I can't imagine this would be as effective.
People skip ads because they (maybe only subconsciously) realize that they don't care about the ads, because the ads are not content. TV advertising doesn't work on a conscious level anymore. People have learned to use them as an excuse for other things (make popcorn, check laundry), or to simply automatically tune them out, much like studies have shown that people ignore 468 x 60 images on the web.
A TiVo that can automatically skip ads based on a program's break time schedule is equivalent to AdBlock; the difference is that in one, you know when the ads are coming, and in the other you know where they are coming from.
TV is also in a rough spot because:
In a nutshell, TV is doomed in a similar way to radio. The inevitable disaster of the switch to digital TV may just be the killing blow.
And I say good riddance, until I can get a la carte programming.
Come on, that ad is funny and almost relivent. Someone mod parent underrated so he can at least be where he started!
When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
"Buffalo" Just go to this site: http://www.kfc.com/buffalosnacker/ and enter the code buffalo to get a free sandwich (they'll mail the coupon to you after you sell them your soul)
I have a Tivo and I've gotten the "hit thumbs up for more info" type commercials for about a year now
This isn't even that kind of interactive ad. FTA...It's a stupid gimmick where they flash something on the screen really quickly, and people have to play it back slowly to see it. "Interactive Commercial Utilizes Tivo Features" sounds like marketing spin to mislead people into thinking the ad works like the ads you've mentioned, or like DVD menus that allow you to navigate through video clips.
No digg. :P
Alright 34 is to young to participate in there campaign cool. I have not been to young to since I was like 9.
OMG Ponies!!! with Glitter!!!! I miss Pink
HD Trailers
I received from NAMBLA gives me the same answer!
Wel, DVR's are sometimes used to segregate ads from content so then you can watch what you want.
Just imagine when ads and content are the same thing, and when you buy, say a DVD, what you're really buying is the ads buried within.
hm.
Well eventually, especially for you guys in the USA, it will be illegal to watch a program then leave the room / change the channel (circumvent) during the adverts. I mean, not watching the adverts of the program you just watched? That is stealing!
Most people have no idea what they are doing, and are silently panicking on the inside.
When entering the buffalo code, try it in IE - surprisingly the dob it disliked in firefox, magically works in IE!!!! Great....
The aim is to combat the use of DVR devices..
They're making it sound like DEA cracking down on narcotics. I'm sure MS is proud.
http://www.kfc.com/buffalosnacker/Checkage.asp takes you direct to the coupon - no need to watch the advert.
Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. MythTV flagged the commercials and spliced them out of my recording. Oh, I'm also lathered in illegitimately acquired free Buffalo Snackers as I type this. Arrest me now!
CAPS LOCK IS THE CRUISE CONTROL OF AWESOMNESS
Oh yeah, now I remember. It was something about Florida and tomatoes.
Here's the pertinent excerpt from the above link:
In March 2005 the Coalition of Immokalee Workers pressured Yum!, a company selling agricultural goods to businesses such as Taco Bell to increase worker' wages. Workers were given 40 cents per 32 pound bucket of tomatoes. These wages are the same as they were 30 years ago. Many workers were incarcerated, and beaten. The CIW was able to free 1,000 workers by forcing an increase in wages and rewriting the terms of slavery in Yum!'s supplier code of conduct.
I just figured you might want to know.
Web 2.0 == Giant Blogspam Circle Jerk
PUNCH THE MONKEY AND WIN A BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICH!
Don't use so many caps. It's like yelling. Don't use so many caps. It's like yelling. Don't use so many caps. It's like yelling.
If they want me to take the time to watch the commercial and figure something out from it they will have to offer me a lot more than just a coupon for a sandwhich.
A bicket of chicken a week for a year or something like that. And even with that i would only stop on the commercial if i happened to see if during my 30 second skips.
I'm paying DirecTV to watch TV not advertisements
Everybody here bitches day in and day out..."These businesses need models that are adapted to new technology"...then someone tries to come up with something and everyone bitches about how dumb it is. *sigh*
"He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato
The aim is to combat the use of DVR devices, like Tivo, to skip advertising by introducing interactivity
;)
Really? Because it really, really looks like the aim is to do something new and fancy and as a result get some editorial publicity for free. And it works
Bah, you don't need a TiVo to playback this ad to pause.
Use a VCR (hardest), another brand of PVR (your computer if you have a TV tuner), watch online, download the video file and use some video editor, etc.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
So, how many people skip thier commerials by using Slo-Mo? That's what you'll have to be using to see the message. If you fast forward or 30 sec skip, you'll never see it.
John
I can't comment on the execution, but the general idea is great. It's nice to see the industry come up with an innovative solution instead of just lobbying the government for anti-consumer legislation all the time.
Also, the summary's wording is confusing: Yum! owns KFC (not the other way around), as well as several other high-profile fast food chains such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
their age check somehow fails with firefox, being born in 1925 was also too young.
Snowden and Manning are heroes.
The blipvert has arrived.
qz
What gym do you go to? Home Depot?
All you need is lurv.
I watched the commercial from a link below and it is not subliminal as it is kind of obvious. Subliminal is perceived under the concious. This one is obviously not under the radar.
qz
"...the chain unveiled a new TV ad Thursday that allows viewers to crack a hidden message if they play the spot back slowly on a digital video recorder or VCR."
The details are sketchy at best, but it sounds like the real goal might be to slip subliminal messages in through the back door. There are laws against subliminal messages in advertising, and while I am not sure if they really have the motive they claim, or if it is just a smoke and mirrors show to keep people from noticing that these laws are (likely) being broken, someone needs to look into this with a much finer resolution of scrutiny.
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Why should I give a damn about the secret message in the ad? That's like in A Christmas Story when the kid eagerly waits to get his Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring, and when he works out the secret message it says, "DRINK YOUR OVALTINE". I mean, who really gives a shit?
Proverbs 21:19
Disclaimer: I wasn't able to watch the video for some reason. I only heard audio. So I can't tell how obvious it actually is.
This is a great thing. (1) It will encourage companies to give away cash prizes for watching their ads, (2) it encourages companies to make ads that are entertaining, which I am more likely to watch, (3) it recognizes the inevitability that companies can no longer force consumers to watch ads by bombardment as we get more control over our lives--it recognizes my right to choose whether or not I'm going to watch this ad, (4) single, large prizes will encourage a few, dedicated people to "solve" the ad, much like radio call-in prizes encouraged a small sect of dialers who make their living...this means that companies will be much more likely to give away lots of smaller prizes because a small, dedicated group of people just out to get the money won't be any more likely to buy that company's products, (5) in a small way it encourages adoption of DVR technology--making this tech more widespread only helps everyone.
All in all, anytime a company modifies its business practices to recognize or support my freedom as a consumer, I'm all for it. To all you naysayers out there--would you prefer companies like KFC go the route of the music industry and try to sue DVR manufacturers or consumers that skip commercials for "stealing" content???
but have you considered the following argument: shut up.
I got the code, went to the site, tried entering it. I am nearly 30 and after entering my date of birth, I was greeted with a message:
Sorry, you are too young to participate in the Buffalo KFC® Snacker special offer. Although there are many other areas on this website for you to explore, eligible entries must be 18 years or older to participate in this particular giveaway.
So it appears to be broken... at least for users of Firefox. Or maybe you have to be OVER 30 to play?